Shared Resource Core 1: Sustain Competitive Cancer Early Stage Scientists (SuCCESS) Core Leaders: Mary O'Connell, NMSU; Beti Thompson, Fred Hutch Core Key Personnel: Michele Shuster, NMSU; Karen Peterson, Fred Hutch [The content of this Core is identical in the NMSU and Fred Hutch proposals.] Abstract Our U54 Partnership proposes to establish a shared resources core to administratively organize and evaluate a range of activities that enhance the competitiveness of the cancer research conducted by Early Stage Investigators (ESIs) who participate in the U54 Partnership. and specific professional development resources designed primarily for ESIs in cancer research and/or cancer health disparities research. The need for this core was identified during our formative evaluation of our current Partnership and the research strategy is based in part on past activities we conducted to support ESIs within our Partnership. The core proposed here, Sustain Competitive Cancer Early Stage Scientists (SuCCESS), will provide additional and specific professional development resources designed primarily for ESIs in cancer research and/or cancer health disparities research. The specific aims of the Core are: (1) to expand the support for ESIs at each institution to develop research collaborations with individuals at the partner institution; (2) to support the enhancement of research communication skills among ESIs within the partnership; and (3) to support the enhancement of efficient research strategies, effective education approaches, and effective time management methods to balance career requirements of teaching, research and service for ESIs. To meet the first aim, we will provide funds and administrative support for ESIs not currently funded in the Partnership to travel to the alternate campus and arrange meetings with potential research partners; and award pre-pilot support each year for up to two research teams to allow those researchers to develop preliminary data for grant submission directly to NIH or as a competing full or pilot project within the U54 Partnership. To meet the second aim, we will host grant and manuscript writing workshops and review groups; provide access to a professional scientific writer to assist in the production of co-authored manuscripts or MPI R type grants; and host a reciprocal Speakers Bureau, in which we will recruit ESIs to present research seminars at the alternate institution. To meet the third aim, a team of senior researchers will work with ESIs to help them create an individualized map of their specific aims, experiments, publications, and grants within a three year period and other specified periods of time (e.g., a grant period, a calendar year). We will also provide in a competitive manner additional release time for manuscript production; and finally we will continue our highly successful Cancer Teaching Fellows program. The effectiveness of the SuCCESS core will be evaluated, in part, on short-term quantifiable outcomes (publications, grants, teaching materials, etc) and on long-term impacts by tracking career progression of the participants. As a result of the activities in the SuCCESS Core, we also expect there to be an increase in funded cancer and/or cancer health disparities research among investigators at NMSU beyond the U54 mechanism.